Umpleby Law Office-Jack A. Umpleby, Attorney at Law

02/21/2021

11/10/2019

Thought to ponder...

05/27/2019

Just enjoyed, cried through, was moved beyond any other show on TV —- the National Memorial Day Concert. Songs of heroes, stories of heroes, and seeing heroes. We have a great country that has been provided for us to live and participate in by the sacrifices, yes including the ultimate sacrifices, of many heroic men and women. May we all never forget them and the history of this country as we move forward tomorrow and everyday after. May God continue to Bless America.

Watch the National Memorial Day Concert the Sunday before Memorial Day. Find out who's performing, view past performances and share a remembrance.

08/10/2018

Passport Applications of a Minor Child: Is the co-parent of your child refusing to consent and co-operate for the Application of the minor child's passport?

03/30/2017

Saw this writing earlier today. It is quite true!

Kopf’s Top Ten Observations About Criminal Defense Lawyers

As I write this on a Sunday morning, I am in the middle of a complex criminal jury trial that will likely last four weeks. Of course, I cannot write about the substance of the case or the lawyers. But watching the criminal defense lawyers in that case started me thinking about my observations of other criminal defense lawyers over the last 25 years.

It occurred to me that the readers might be interested in my top ten observations about criminal defense lawyers from the perspective of a federal trial judge. So, in no particular order of importance, here are my observations:

10. Criminal defense lawyers are at great risk of becoming drunken bastards—the stress is beyond description.

9. Being a good criminal defense lawyer requires sincerity whereas being a great criminal defense lawyer requires the ability to fake it.

8. When it comes to convincing a client to accept a guilty plea because it is in the manifest best interests of the client, a criminal defense lawyer must become a client whisperer.

7. When it comes to convincing a client to reject a plea offer and take the case to a jury, a criminal defense lawyer (regardless of gender) must possess balls of steel.

6. Real criminal defense lawyers don’t hate prosecutors, but they don’t trust them either.

5. Criminal defense lawyers know that the federal trial judge is never their friend, but the judge is seldom their enemy.

4. A tiny fraction of people who have law degrees have the ability to become even mediocre criminal defense lawyers.

3. If you became a criminal defense lawyer because you like Rolex watches, then you are an as***le.

2. You must have a big ego to become a decent criminal defense lawyer but you must not be an egotist—it is never, ever about you.

1. Real criminal defense lawyers represent clients and not causes.
By the way, this was to be my last post on Fault Lines. So, I will end by making explicit what is implicit in the foregoing. To all who labor as criminal defense lawyers and who aspire to be good, and perhaps even great, ones, I respect you more than you will ever know.

All the best.

Richard G. Kopf
Senior United States District Judge (Nebraska)

03/12/2017

Simple reminders of how to live.

02/26/2017

Finally! Recognition! LOL.

01/24/2017

Thoughts to live by as we develop, kindle, nurture and maintain relationships. It should apply to spoken as well as written words. This thought process could be a great check-valve between the brain and the actions of the tongue or fingers.

01/21/2017

These were words published by Doctor Ben Carson. I am going to take these to heart and continue to live with them in mind. Perhaps if we each did, it may be a better world in which we live.

02/15/2016

New 5 Star Review:

"I wanted to thank Atty Jack Umpleby for helping us get thru this tough time with my son's ticket. The explanations he provided were very through and informative and we felt that we entered the court room with a full knowledge of what was going to happen. Jack is very through and happy to answer any questions you may have. As we all know going into a court room is not a pleasant event, he placed my son and I at ease. Thank you Jack."

If you need experienced Germantown, WI Estate-Planning-Attorneys to help you develop a will or trust, call Umpleby Law Office & Jaeger Law Office, Not A Partnership. We'll give you peace of mind.